Jul 12, 2009 01:04 PM
5408 Views
(Updated Jul 12, 2009 01:24 PM)
"Lost in time" - is how we felt when we visited this new property which is set in such an amazing location.
After booking the resort over phone(thanks to a wonderful lady staff and you can reach her on - 00919620310449), on Friday, we left Bangalore at 3:00pm to beat traffic. We drove via mysore, kabini. To note - reach nagarahole gate in Kabini before 6:00 pm, because they close the gate between 6pm to 6am. We made it in the nick of time and knew that we had good chance to see animals on the 30 km stretch through the forest. We weren't disappointed as we saw herds of deer and an elephant on the way!
The route goes like this - Bangalore to Mysore(130Km) Mysore to Kabini(65Km) Kabini to Katikulam(40Km through thick jungle!), Katikulam to Jungle Retreat(15Km amazing drive!)
It was around 8pm when we reached Katikulam junction and from there we knew that we had to go to Tholpetty Thirunelli temple road. That is where the real adventure began! The moment we truned the junction, we felt as though we are in the middle of the jungle! Big large trees on both sides of the beautiful road, with no soul in sight and no vehicles on the road. The drive was awesome, through the winding roads with bamboo groves and big forest trees on the sides!
It was not too difficult to find the resort and we were welcomed warmly by the hosts. Note - it certainly doesn't look like a resort, it looked more like a private resort, they host very few families at any given time, which worked out great since we were there for a bit of peace and quiet. We were escorted to our own jungle villa and the first feeling was WOW! Big airy rooms with a view(we noticed that only the next day morning), and that too in the middle of the jungle!
We had a quick shower and went for dinner which was kept warm and ready outside under the starlit sky! It was just my family and one of the hosts who entertained us with his amazing stories. He also interpreted the sounds of the jungle coming from far and near. After the dinner we sat around the camp fire and we heard these long shrill whistles. Our host had a torch which was the most powerful I have seen and we could see a heard in the meadow looking intently towards the forest and they were raising an alarm! We sat there listening to the shrill alarm sound of the spotted deer in awe. Perhaps it had seen a Tiger!
The bed is very cosy and we slept like babies, and we were politely woken up at around 8 by the caretaker, who informed us that the bed coffee and the break fast was ready. That is when we were really struck by the beauty of this place. Our villa faced a big meadow in the front and on all the other 3 sides we could see huge trees and mountains beyond! The first few minutes we just stood there soaking in the fresh mountain air and the natural beauty abounding the place. It was cold, luckily we had bought some sweaters.
That is when we saw something moving in the meadows ahead and I thought it was a pack of goats. But it was a herd of spotted deer enjoying the grass! Nature undisturbed and untouched.
As far as activities goes, we went to Thirunelli temple. Perhaps the only other place which is even more prettier than the resort itself! You should see the settings to believe it! This temple is so old that it is considered as one of the oldest in the world!
We also went on a safari drive on both the nights and if you are a wildlife buff, this is a must-do! I never realized that we could see herds of elephants on the road at 9:00pm in the night! They stand on the road and they pull the bamboo down, break it for the small elephants and then they all feast on it! To see that sitting in your car hardly 20 feet away - how cool is that! I have to admit that the first few time we saw these huge animals, I kept on saying. don't go this close. go back. go back. But soon it became a regular occurance and I started relaxing more as the driver from the resort knew exactly what he was doing. For the first time ever, I saw a pack of wilddogs crossing the road! Wonderful sights to cherish for a long time!
The 2 days just zipped by, but we enjoyed visiting their herbal garden, we also bought some small herbs to keep in our apartment in bangalore. We also went and visited kuruva island. All the activities are customizable and they will arrange transport and guides as well. We also went for a jungle awareness trekking, which lasts about 2 hours. It is a trek through the property and through the jungles around it. The guide tells and shows you the most amazing things like the footprints of elephants that visited the property last night and the place where a herd of gaurs rested etc. There is a near by stream, well it looks more like a river! On the last day we went there and had a swim. The water is coming from the mountains, so it was VERY cold! After that we tried our hands in fishing and amazingly we caught some small ones, but we released it back into the water! Fishes at 5000feet in the jungle rivers, I wonder how!
Best way to go is via Kabini, though 20Kms of the road is horrible, but there is always a chance to see animals. When coming back, we came via Bathery through Muthanga national park. The road is very good, but it is around 50kms longer that way to Bangalore.
I loved it there, will go back for sure. Hope this review was useful for you! They have a cool website at https://jungleretreatwayanad.com, worth a look! You may want to book early, so you can also try them at -(0)9620310449
Njoy
Chaya
